Maccabi brings back shooting ace Bluthenthal

Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv continued loading its 2007-08 roster on Friday by announcing the return of sharp-shooting forward David Bluthenthal, a key player in the club's first Euroleague title of the decade. Bluthenthal, a U.S. forward with an Israeli passport, arrives from Fortitudo Bologna, where he averaged 16 points and 4.2 rebounds in Euroleague play last season. Maccabi had been Bluthenthal's first European team. He capped his two seasons there by scoring 20 points in the 2004 Euroleague title game, which Maccabi won by a record 118-74 over Fortitudo. In between those two clubs, he won the 2005 FIBA Europe League with Dynamo St. Petersburg of Russia and later played for Benetton Treviso and Virtus Bologna of the Italian League before joining Fortitudo last season. Bluthenthal's return to the Euroleague brough reminders of what a dead-eyed shooter he is: he finished last Euroleague season having made 71.1% of his two-point shots, 46.2% of his triples and 78.9% of his free throws in 17 games.